Beaux Arts Magazine Essay Calls for 'Right to Beauty' in French Presidential Debate
In Beaux Arts Magazine, the writer posits that the upcoming French presidential election should focus on the concept of a 'right to beauty.' The article critiques the deterioration of public aesthetics and luxury, drawing on Emma Carenini's book, 'Une autre histoire du luxe' (Passés/Composés, 250 p., €19), which criticizes the 'aesthetic abdication of public service.' Carenini points to ancient Rome's public luxury as a communal asset. The author connects modernism's notion that 'ornament is a crime' to the emergence of lifeless architecture, arguing that a Paris filled solely with post-1970 structures would repel visitors. Additionally, it reflects on Claude Mollard's initiatives in the 1980s to involve artists in state production, noting that public luxury has become a privilege for the affluent.
Key facts
- The opinion piece was published in Beaux Arts Magazine n°507 in September 2026.
- Emma Carenini's book 'Une autre histoire du luxe' is published by Passés/Composés, 250 pages, €19.
- Carenini criticizes the 'aesthetic abdication of public service' that left luxury to private conception.
- Ancient Rome's public luxury included ornamenta, painted or sculpted works in public spaces.
- Modernism's 'ornament is a crime' and rigid zoning led to soulless urban environments.
- Claude Mollard, working with Jack Lang in the early 1980s, proposed integrating artists into state production, from stamps to urban equipment.
- Sabina Lang & Daniel Baumann's UP#3 was created in 2017 for 'Un été au Havre' in dialogue with Auguste Perret's architecture.
- The author argues that if Paris only had post-1970 buildings, tourists would not visit, indicating reliance on past heritage.
Entities
Artists
- Sabina Lang
- Daniel Baumann
- Auguste Perret
- Robert Combas
- Pierre Huyghe
- Marcel Duchamp
- Emma Carenini
- Claude Mollard
- Jack Lang
- Louis XIV
- Eva Gonzalès
- Andy Warhol
Institutions
- Beaux Arts Magazine
- Passés / Composés
- Un été au Havre
Locations
- Le Havre
- France
- Paris
- Place des Vosges
- La Courneuve
- Rome
- Italy
- Gaza
- Israel